Theft of books from libraries is an ever increasing problem in terms of expense to the taxpayer and impairment of the information services provided by libraries. In addition, there have been several noted recent instances of theft of relatively rare and valuable books from libraries. With limited resources, libraries cannot afford to lose any books, much less books that are essentially irreplaceable. In the commercial setting, bookstores have an obvious requirement to control shoplifting of expensive inventory, which of necessity is displayed openly and accessibly to both the bona fide patron/customer and the would-be shoplifter.
Electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems for controlling pilferage, especially the unauthorized taking of books from libraries and book stores, are well known. One type of such EAS system employs ferromagnetic markers inserted in the book binding or between two pages of the book. If the article is to be permanently marked to control its passage, such as would be done with a non-circulating reference book, a single-status, non-deactivatable marker will be used. Alternatively, if the article is intended for authorized removal, a deactivatable, dual-status marker will be used. In the latter event, if the marker is not deactivated when the book is properly checked out, the marker will be detected as the book is passed through the interrogation zone of the EAS system. A single status marker would always be so detected. More particularly, the interrogation zone is established by spaced apart detection panels placed across the exits from the library or book store. The panels include field coils for producing an alternating magnetic field across the exits and detector coils for detecting the passage of a marker between the panels.
EAS ferromagnetic markers for use in books typically comprise long, narrow strips that are manually inserted between two pages of the book, close to the binding of the book. Each side of the strip is coated with an adhesive to secure the marker to the book pages. When properly placed in a book, the markers are difficult to visually detect, difficult to remove, and do not detract from the ability of the reader to use and enjoy the book.
The key to proper placement of an EAS marker within a book is proper packaging of the marker such that the marker can be quickly and readily inserted deeply between two pages, as close as possible to the book's binding, for relatively permanent, adhesive retention in such position. As will be appreciated, depending on the stiffness of the book's binding, it can be difficult to locate the EAS marker in the desired position deep between two pages and keep it in that position while exposing the adhesive on the opposing sides of the marker to the two facing pages of the book.
An EAS marker assembly suitable for such book marking has two adhesive release liner strips; one covering the adhesive on each side of the marker. In use, one of the two covering strips is removed, exposing the adhesive on one side of the marker. The other cover strip includes opposed ends that extend beyond the ends of the narrow, elongated marker. The ends can be grasped in opposite hands of the person placing the strip in a book. When properly placed, the adhesive on the exposed side of the marker adheres to a page of the book, close to the book's binding. The second covering strip is then removed, and the adhesive on the second exposed side of the marker adheres to a second page of the book directly opposite the first page.
While use of the marker described above has proven beneficial and has gained wide acceptance, the two-step process of removing the covering strip can prove cumbersome. For instance, removal of the strips generates static electricity, and the strips, once removed from the marker, tend to be attracted to the user's hands and are difficult to dispose of. The disposal nuisance created by the static clinging of the strips to the user's hands is essentially doubled by the use of two separate strips to cover each marker.